Lagos socialite, Ile Eru, jailed for 20 yrs

Eric Ikhilae, Lagos - 19.03.2008

Lagos socialite, Mr. Akindele Ikumoluyi (aka Eru 1) was on Tuesday, sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court, Lagos following his conviction for illegal dealing in illicit drugs.

The 45-year-old, who is said to have several wives and nine children, was arrested by the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2006 and charged with two counts of dealing in cocaine.

He pleaded not guilty in 2006 when he was first arrained on the charge of aiding some individuals arrested by NDLEA at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos in the same year.

He however, changed his plea on Tuesday and pleaded guilty when he was re-arraigned on two separate amended charges filed by the NDLEA.

Lead prosecution counsel, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, however, declined to explain what informed his agency’s decision to amend the earlier charges filed.

One of the charges accused him of illegally importing 10 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil in June 2004.He was also said to have unlawfully dealt in the said amount of drug.

The second charge said he exported on February 3, 2006, 1 kilogramme of cocaine to the United Kingdom without lawful authority.